Invariably, we all sat in that English classroom our freshman year of high school and read a Shakespeare play. As a young student sitting in that freshman classroom, I had no clue what was going on in the play, mostly due to a complete lack in understanding the language. As a class we read Romeo and Juliet—our teacher often chiming in to tell us what words like dost and thou meant. After “reading” portions of Romeo and Juliet, we would have tests and quizzes on the plotline or characters, all of which I failed. Later on in my high school career, I still failed to pick up Shakespearean language, continuously faking that I knew what was going on when I didn’t. Not understanding the Shakespearean language continued through my undergraduate studies, …show more content…
John Doyle, author of Shakespeare for Dummies, argues that the reason students struggle so much is that “Shakespeare wrote his plays for performance—he never intended for people to read them as books” (1999, p. 59). In addition to this, it would be almost ridiculous for students to just read the words without learning their previous meaning. In his book, Doyle lays out the various ways to teach and understand Shakespeare. He begins by stating that one needs to understand the history before even beginning to understand the language (p. 70). Although he does not lay out how much information is needed to understand the history, he provides a very good point for teachers: if students do not understand the context that the language was used in, then how can they understand that this language at one time even existed? Following Doyle’s ideas, the idea of showing students the evolution of the English language for a class period would be very beneficial. For example, comparing texts such as Beowulf, Twelfth Night, and The Fault in Our Stars allows them to see and understand the development of the …show more content…
Agreeing with Doyle, Neal says that “students understand the language by watching it in action. They see what is going on and understand the language through that. They don’t need to read it” (2015, pg. 2). Neal’s ideology behind teaching Shakespeare entails the student watching the play in small portions, before breaking into small groups and reflecting on what they just viewed. The groups are split by ability, so students ask an array of questions and remain fully informed on the play’s plot line and character development. Next, Neal urges teachers—especially those who have students with IEPs or 504s—to use multiple assessment methods. Using multiple assessment methods allows students of all learning styles to understand the play to the fullest extent (2015, pg. 1). Neal provides some prominent examples in her classroom, which include storyboards and drama acting, as well as speaking and listening
In today’s world the quality of the art form called writing is said to be somewhat diminishing, it is important for English literature to keep some studies of classic literature, such as Shakespeare. I think well rounded education must have a strong foundation in both modern and classical literature, for the foundation in classical literature, an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s works would be more than sufficient. Not only was Shakespeare so skilled in his writing that he has become a significant point in the history of literature, but a majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will last for all time and must not be forgotten.
The teacher begins by presenting an identifiable text to the students in a foreign language. The students are to identify this text through the use of prior knowledge and footnotes. The teacher then guides the students to summarize the text in modern English. The teacher connects this exercise to how students should approach Shakespeare’s language. The students then work on a worksheet with a partner where they apply foot notes and careful reading to decipher the Shakespearean Insults handout. The students share their work with the rest of the class. If not all of the quotes were covered during class, the students will translate the quotes at home as homework.
Shakespeare’s language is so different from the slang teens use today so by reading his plays, it can improve teens’ speaking abilities. If teens were to read Shakespeare’s plays, it could expand their vocabulary and they would use more academic
Shakespeare is Important William Shakespeare’s plays are being made into box office film hits at an incredible rate. Films such as Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, Othello with Laurence Fishbourne and Henry V with Kenneth Branagh have been seen by a surprising number of teenagers. Often they have not understood it all, or even half of it, but they have been affected by the powerful characters and by the Shakespearean magic which has affected audiences around the world for centuries. They want to know more, they want to understand, and what better motivation can any teacher ask for than that students WANT? That alone is sufficient reason for any English teacher to start a course in Shakespeare.
Shakespeare wrote his plays to appeal to Elizabethan audiences. Much of the text is dated or archaic and is initially unknown to the typical student.
In some of William Shakespeare's most famous works, he deviates from the historical truth to create the final product of his works. He does this to please loyalty, as well as appeal to his audience at the time. At the same time, Shakespeare also does this to help create a stronger bond between the reader and the characters. To satisfy this, he implements many fictional pieces to his famous works. Macbeth was one of these works as he wrote this in 1606 to honor James I becoming the king of England. To please him, he altered many features of characters, as well as add in fictional characters. This changed the plot of the story greatly, making it very different from the story Shakespeare bases it off of. In addition, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar also features these fictional pieces to avoid complicating the plot of the story. The assassination of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is still, to this day, one of the greatest and complicated murder cases in history. Because of this, Shakespeare does manipulate what really happened. By cutting out details he felt were unnecessary, this allows for him to delve into what is more important. Shakespeare also wanted to write more of a political play, which is why he left out some critical information that he felt wasn't important. The changes that Shakespeare makes are critical, as there are many historical inaccuracies that change the plot greatly.
involving Shakespeare's mindset and grit for all of his characters. In our CUNY English class, we
Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York -Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997.
First, some believe that Shakespeare does not strike modern day teenagers. “The Bard today and his work are irrelevant to modern day text” (Powell) . “Learning a 451 language does not pertain to modern day writing or language” (Deblasis) . Modern day teenagers do not understand Shakespeare because Shakespeare is meant to be enjoyed in the theater not taught in a classroom. Take into account that most teenagers dislike and do recommend
Language is the primary means by which the human species communicate with one another. Within any region of the world, members of the homo sapien species employ language as a communicative and social device, though these may differ according to region. It is often the case that there is linguistic difference across parts of the world, as inhabitants of different regions speak different languages. For example, the main language used in Germany is German, while in France, French is dominant language. Furthermore, even within a language, there are different varieties, such as in the case of English, where a multitude of varieties exist, including British English, American English, Hong Kong English, and Indian English. These branches
Savino, J. (2011). The Shakespeare in All of Us: A Monumental, Multitudinous, Premeditated Approach to Vocabulary Instruction. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(6), 445-453. doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.6.6
in the past the way i have been taught shakespeare was by reading the play as a class, and acting out the play mostly during important scenes
Language is defined as the system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings to each other. Language is an essential part to humanity; it is what we use to communicate with one another. Language is what makes humans distinct. Although, it is not solely for communication it is more than that. Language is power, and it is a power no one can take away from you. It is evident in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” that language is an essential part of life, not so much in the “The Tempest.” Both works suggest that language is power and liberation, but Gloria Anzaldua believes that language is what makes her, her, where Caliban believes language does not. It is interesting to see that both stories have language as a theme, but go about them in different ways.
Last semester I led a ninth-grade class room through a reading of Romeo and Juliet. I had little time to prepare for this unit of study, and had never formally studied or written about the play. I worked my way through each scene, preparing prompts and discussions that seemed relevant to the content of the play, to its connections to private and public social issues (both Elizabethan and modern), and to why the play was written in poetic form, or what the poet was trying to do with language. The play is rife with paradox, oxymoron, and ambiguity, so finding a focal point or common theme to unify the various lessons was difficult. However, as we approached the final act, everything that the students and I had explored in this play seemed to me to be pointing back to a line early in Act I, "Part fools! You know not what you do."
John Dryden once said, “But Shakespeare’s magic could not copied be; Within that circle none durst walk but he” (Mabillard). Shakespeare is one of the greatest poets and writers of all time. No one wrote like him or created the plays that he created. All of Shakespeare’s plays include different elements of the Renaissance and the Elizabethan Era that are incorporated into his characters and their actions. Shakespeare’s works are broken up into four periods that span from 1595-1613, and each contains a new writing style. These each depict different events that were happening at the time. During the first period, up to 1595, Shakespeare wrote extravagant plays such as Romeo and Juliet and used older plays as a basis for his work. In his second writing period, from 1595-1601, Shakespeare focused more on histories like Henry IV. The third period, 1601-1608, contained comedies and tragedies such as Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Finally, the fourth stage, 1608-1613, is when Shakespeare wrote many romances. Some of his most famous pieces include Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. Each of these works include great amounts of history that Shakespeare experienced throughout his life.